Only Memories
by Velsked
Summary: A pseudo-crossover story of Naruto and Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko. Though I will only borrow some characters from the latter . There will be a lot of changes and our blonde friend will not be the same 'airhead' as he was shown in the manga/anime. Plot:- Naruto stumbles upon the ruins of an extinct clan. What he discovered would change his ninja career forever.
1. INTRODUCTION

**Disclaimer**: I don't own naruto nor _Denpa Onna_ to Seishun Otoko. And unfortunately I never will -_-

**Author's note:**Now many of you are wondering why I made a Psedue-cross-over with a complete different anime like _Denpa Onna_ to Seishun Otoko. You wanna k_now?...I really have no idea why myself _. Maybe its because erio's appearance is...innocent and intriguing. Not making any sense? Well you will just have to read :D

This is my first time writing a fanfic so i hope its not too boring. I _may_ use Japanese words because i really wanna try that xD. Also if you think my story is similar to any other fanfic you read, i assure you i didn't steal his/her ideas. I have also posted the same story in **Wattpad** under a different user name. Review so i can fix my errors. Criticize but with reasons. Please forgive my grammar because where i live we rarely speak English.

Now onto the story!


	2. Chapter 1

The whispers and glares that came his way were harsher than the ones he normally received. Not that it bothered him much as he was already used to the hostility of the villagers. Still, a part of his mind was curious of this sudden change of behaviour. Instead of being intimidated as the villagers expected him to be, he simply put his hands behind his head and flashed them one of his infamous grins. Needless to say, the glares hardened. _Wow, so much for a nice morning walk on the day of my birthday,_ he sighed before realizing that this could be the reason for said change in hostility. Not wanting to get his mood ruined, he jumped to the nearest rooftop and sprinted towards the Hokage Tower which was just a few yards away.

Sarutobi Hiruzen put his crystal ball away as he felt Naruto's chakra signature approaching him. He had felt he should keep an eye on Naruto in-case the villagers became too aggressive and attempted to harm him. From what he saw, naruto noticed this as well. Ofcourse he knew the reason why they acted more harshly. Being born on the day of the Kyuubi attack and afterwards having it sealed inside him doesn't really give hope to enjoying his birthday for the following years to come. Even if someone is a harmless infant. Quickly breaking out of his thoughts, he picked up his pipe just as a mop of spiky blonde hair made it's presence near the window. Dazzling blue eyes met his brown ones before his face morphed into a huge grin.

"Ohayo Jiji!" naruto greeted loudly before hoping over to him.

"Ohayo Naruto-kun", the hokage greeted back before giving him an amused look." I thought I remeber telling you to enter through the door".

Naruto's grinned widened. "Doors are for old kids and old people! ", he reasoned knowingly jabbing at the hokages age.

Sarutobi, ignoring the jab, raised an eyebrow." You are...8 years old Naruto and practically a 'little' kid."

Instead of being annoyed, a grin ceased into a small smile."ah...so you remember"

Sarutobi smiled knowingly. " Ofcourse I do. Happy birthday Naruto-kun. Congratulations on turning 8", he said patting his head gentle.

Naruto nodded before looking at him expectantly." neh neh, I get a present right? right?"

The Hokage hummed for a second before asking, "Is there anything specific you want?...and no Naruto no paper-bombs". He added hurriedly much to the boys chargin. Naruto pouted at him before trying to decide what he wanted. He didn't need clothes as he already had his favourite orange jumper and his currently wearing white T-shirt with a big red spiral on the back. He wondered if the old man would give him information about his parents or why the village treated him so badly before pushing the thought away. The Hokage already told him that he would tell tell when he becomes older or when he becomes a genin. When he asked why the old man told him that the information was very dangerous( to which Naruto made a speech about him fearing nothing...other than ghosts), Looking out of the window from where he could see the entire village, he 'hmmm'ed for a moment before turning back to hokage and asking him something that he didn't expect.

"I wanna go camping!"

"Camping? where?" though he already guessed the answer naruto explained anyway. "Outside the village there is a lake! I overheard one of the kids in the playground saying that his whole family went there on a camping trip and they saw shooting stars during the night!" Naruto waved his hands excitedly." neh jiji can I go? please~?"

Hiruzen knew what lake the blonde was talking about. It was approx 2 miles away from the village. While his initial thought was declining the boy's request, he was somewhat curious as to why naruto wanted to get out of the village.

"Why do you want to go outside the village naruto-kun? Other than that, did you forget that today is the day we hail a celebration for the death of yondaime who sacrificed his life to protect the village against the nine-tails?", he asked. Naruto's face fell slightly and his eyes made his way towards the floor. The hokage could feel his hesitation at giving him his reasoning.

"well..."he began," uhh, I already told you how the villagers treat me weirdly right?", he continued avoiding his jiji's eyes and missing the look of understanding that dawned on his face," So yea for some reason they...hate me more on my birthday. Also when I went to the celebration in honour of the fourth last year, they ahhh... told me go away", Naruto scatched his cheek trailing off. He had lied the part of the villagers only forcing him to leave. He didn't wanted his only grandfather figure to worry about him.

Sarutobi on the other hand wanted to kick himself. How can he forgot about the kyuubi. He can imagine how the villagers would react if they saw him attending the festival of their 'hero'. For the hundredth time he cursed the idiocy of the villagers and also himself for letting naruto go through such a harsh childhood. How can he be called a hokage if he can't even save one child. He cared for the boy. He wanted the blonde to be happy. He wanted to see him smile a real smile instead of that fake one he kept plastered on all the time. He wanted naruto to become a strong shinobi and have comrades who would see him for who he was. He truly did!

Now, seeing the boy standing nervously a few feet away and fidgeting slightly, and when he looked up with blue eyes that shimmered with hope, Hiruzen had made the decision. Naruto's eyes brightened when his jiji smiled at him.

"Very well then naruto-"he held up his arm before the blonde could start celebrating right there," but I will be sending an escort with you just so you don't get lost on your way there". Naruto pouted but he understood the old man's reasons. Jumping to the nearest window sill, he turned back and gave a slight wave telling him he would head back to start packing right away and vanished before the hokage would 'order' him to use the damn door.

The hokage mumbled something about 'youngsters these days' before calling out to something invisible in-front of him. "_Cat_!".

His call immediately followed by a person, a woman judging by her long purple hair, wearing a neko mask seemingly to appear out of thin air and bowing down to him.

"Yes Hokage-sama!" The anbu inquired.

"I have a mission for you", the hokage replied as he went into giving out the details.


	3. Chapter 2

Naruto was ecstatic. Not only was he allowed to go outside the gates of Konoha, he also got permission to camp for the whole night! Well maybe not the entire night but who cares! He was going to have a whole day to himself, outside Konoha and away from the glares of the villagers. Quickly sorting through his things, he started packing the ones he would need most— 5 boxes of miso ramen, a small folding tent(the hokage lend it to him earlier), a water bottle, some more ramen(an emergency ration for survival just in case he got hungry), a pack of marsh-mellows he found in his cupboard, and a few academy kunai and shuriken if he ran into any wild animals. He idly wondered if he should invite one of his classmates but squashed that idea. Shikamaru was too lazy to come. Choji was going to the festival with his family, likewise Kiba would too. Besides, he promised himself he would make the most of his day. Nodding to himself as he re-checked everything, he took a shower and had a small breakfast consisting of toast and milk...though he wondered why the milk tasted weird. Shrugging mentally, he swung his backpack across his shoulders and exited, making sure to lock to door behind him. Jumping on the roof, he darted towards the gates as fast as his legs could carry him while grinning madly. To the eyes of the civilians, he was nothing more than a blur.

As soon as he landed he frowned as his senses picked up something. Over the years of pranking and using stealth and strategies to escape the ninjas who tried to capture him, his senses were honed greatly._ I'm being followed,_ he thought subtly glancing behind him. His eyes fixeted on a tree before he spotted someone crouched on one of the branches. _Anbu, _he identified judging from the gear the the standard Konoha mask she wore. If this new person hadn't worn the mask, Naruto would have seen the surprise written on her face. Before he could comment the anbu disappeared and reappeared in front of him in a swirl of leaves putting him on edges.

Cat studied him for a moment talking in his features. _So this was Naruto Uzumaki_. _To pick up my presence he must be a skilled sensor or that was merely a fluke. Still..._

Cat took of her mask, much to the surprise of the blonde, to reveal a beautiful face with sharp brown eyes. Her long violet hair flowed behind her as she nodded to him. "Uzumaki-san, I have been appointed by Hokage-sama to act as your escort. You may address me as Yugao or _cat_.", she introduced.

Naruto relaxed slightly. _So jij sent her to babysit me. _he thought flatly but simply smiled at her "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Yugao-san." Yugao nodded once naruto started leading the way with the anbu following behind.

An hour had passed as the duo made their way towards their destination. A first, Naruto was giddy as he drank in the scenery of wildlife. But after 15 minutes he quickly got bored of the same scene though he would perk up whenever he heard an animal call before returning to stare dully ahead. Yugao herself was amused by the blonde jinchuriki's reactions. She had her mask back on so naruto didn't notice the funny look she was giving him. While naruto was not uncomfortable around the anbu as he sensed no ill-will from her, he was a bit curious about the sword that was strapped to her back. He was deciding whether to voice his curiosity before something caught his eyes.

"The Lake! I see it!", he exclaimed loudly before ducking his head in embarrassment at his outburst. Yugao mentally snickered. Suddenly she stopped and looked upwards. Naruto followed her gaze to see a messenger eagle descending from the sky. It flapped its wings twice before landing on the anbu's outstretched arm. She then removed the parchment that was attached to the bird's legs before quickly reading it. Naruto wanted to ask if something was wrong but Yugao seemed to read his mind as she answered "The Hokage wants my presence for a mission. Its seems you are on your own Uzumaki-san".

Naruto was completely fine with this new development. In fact, he was happy to be left alone. Pointing his thumb at his chest he gave her one of his confident grins. "No problem Yugao-san! You have nothing to worry about!". Yugao smiled under her mask. "I will hold on to that promise of yours" She replied before once again dissapearing in a shunshin of leaves leaving naruto alone.

**Authors Note:- **_Kuso!_ writing a fanfic is harder than i thought. Again forgive my poor grammar. The fun begins on the Next chapter. Later :D


	4. Chapter 3

Normally, lakes arn't something that comes to the mind when someone is asked where they wanted to go for a voyage. But still, there will always be a few weird people out there that would think otherwise. Apparently a certain blonde was one of then who was currently eyeing the huge mass of water with awe. Yes there will always be people...

"Sugoi!"

Even saying that, the lake was quite impressive. Having about a radius of 400 meters, the surface sparkled under the sunlight as if a sheet of blue crystal was spread out, darker at the edges and lighter at the middle. In the distance, a range of mountains and hills stood, their necks piercing the clouds. Never in his life had naruto saw such a breathtaking scenery. Standing for another minute or two, Naruto snapped out of his trance._Guess I should start with the tent,_ he thought as a fumbled with his backpack.

**Time skip: 7 hours**

Naruto now sat staring lazily at the small campfire he had made to warm himself from the chilly weather. Night had already began to fall and the blonde was trying to come with something to kill time. He had spent the day splashing in the lake, eating ramen, exploring the forest, eating more ramen, chasing wild animals and running away from angry bears, searching for more ramen in his backpack before falling into depression for not finding any. He admitted he enjoyed this new freedom but it was still a tad bit boring. And now he was gazing at the endless black sky trying to spot some shooting stars. Unfortunately none caught his sight. _Maybe that kid was lying, _he thought frowning before a devilish grin broke his face as he tried to come up with a prank to get back at him. He didn't know how much time has flown by before he was pulled away from his thoughts when he realised that the fire had died out. Looking around he noticed his surroundings were much darker before turning towards the lake...only for his eyes to widen and his jaw drop.

Whereas the lake looked like a crystal sheet in the daylight, now it looked as if the water had turned to liquid silver. Up in the sky, a full moon contrasted with the dark clouds, its soft eternal glow making the blonde feel calm for some reason. He didn't know how long he sat there staring before the distant sound of fireworks made his way to him. Blinking, he realized that the festival back at Konoha must have been over. Feeling he should be heading back soon, he got ready to pack things up before a voice spoke up.

"**That chakra...it can't be...**".

Instantly, Naruto's senses went on high alert as he froze, his hands shooting towards his kunai pouch trying to locate the owner of the voice. "who's there?!", he demanded he's voice a bit shaky. _How did he not sense anyone?! _Before he could think any further, a strange burning sensation went through him, as if something hot was being poured inside of him. Suddenly everything around became sharp. His eyesight, smelling and hearing senses escalated and he could pick out every details of the smallest things around him— The rustle of leaves, the whispers of the wind, the trickle of water..._wait._

Naruto turned toward the massive water body before pausing, turning around and then turning back in the direction of where the lake was supposed to be with a confused expression on his face.

"Where did the lake go?!" he asked to no one in particular.

True to his words, the lake beside which the blonde had fooled around all day, seemed to have vanished into thin air. Instead it was replaced by a steep valley complete with trees, foliage and all sorts of greenery. But the valley wasn't what caught his eyes,no. It was what lay in the middle or rather the structure that looked like a traditional Japanese house...except it was large and was surrounded by wisteria. Like the clan compounds back at his village. _Where did that building come from? And where the hell did that lake go anyway?!_

Even as a part of his brain tried to come up with any theory as to explain this situation before him, the other part couldn't help but admire what he saw. The building itself looked ancient and majestic with the walls and roofs having intricate designs, painted with a mixture of black and while textures with delicate golden borderlines. A stone archway was constructed in-front of what Naruto assumed was the main symbols were etched on it that seemed to glow dimly. Overall, the whole thing looked liked it was pulled out from a painting. Cautiously the jinchuriki make his way to the edges of the escarpment. A war was currently waging inside of him, one part telling him to '_Go explore that building that looks so awesome' _while other telling him to '_Get the hell out of here before you experience Murphy's law first hand'._..  
>In the end, you could guess who lost..<p>

Completely forgetting about the voice he heard moments ago, he jumped off the edge, landing softly on the grass. Kunai in hand, he carefully made his way towards the house before stopping in-front of the archway. For some reason, the vibes he got from the seemingly harmless structure made him wary. _What do these symbols mean?,_ he repeated to himself. The only thing he could relate this to was fuinjutsu. Still, it seemed different, almost like it was written in another language. _Well here goes nothing..._

One step. Two step. Three. Nothing happened. Naruto scoffed,_ I was worrying for nothing._ Putting his hands on the door he slid it open. The inside was dark and a musty odor reached his nose. _Seems like it has been abandoned for a while . _

"Hello?!", he called out waiting for a reply, "Anyone home?! I need to ask something!". Still no response.

Deciding that standing outside would get him nowhere, he took off his sandal out of habit before stepping on the hard wooden floor. He decided to leave the door open to let the moonlight filter in to provide what little source of illumination it can. The room itself looked vacant consisting of only a couch, a coffee table with an empty vase sitting on top. At the corner of the room lay a grandfather's clock though it looked as if it was broken. A few paintings hanged on the wall but other than nothing else was there. Walking over to the table, he dragged a finger across the surface before inspecting it. _Clean,_ he realized, _so someone lives here after all. _He didn't like intruding on other's property but his curiosity over the mystery behind the lake vanishing won over. He started towards the only other door he saw in the room and slid it open...to reveal an open balcony with a garden on the other side. A soft breeze wept his spiky hair as his eyes scanned the area before falling on an artifact or what looked like an artifact.

Surrounded by four white-marble pillars that had vines twisting and growing around them, lay an obelisk. The material that comprised it was so dark as if it was carved obsidian. Symbols were drawn similar to the archway outside expect it glowed a blood-red. Fascinated and awed, Naruto unconsciously made his way towards the structure. Stopping just within hands-reach, he could sense a strange power humming inside it. Slowly his hands inched closer to the dark surface before...

"I wouldn't touch it if I were you"

Completely caught off-guard, his instincts made him jump back while simultaneously throwing a kunai at where he thought the voice came from. It was a second later he realized what he had done that a feeling of dread overcame him as he watched the projectile close on it's target. Before he can give any shout of warning, the kunai stopped in its tracks before falling on the ground chattering loudly. Naruto was too surprised to speak but mentally he sighed in relief. Instead he look in the appearance of the new visitor. She was an attractive woman who look to be in her twenties, with long dark blue hair. She was dressed in a violet silky night gown that contrasted with her pale skin. Deep purple eyes studied him with interest.

"It's certainly unusual for someone to find this place", she continued not even the least fazed as if the kunai episode never occurred. Gulping, Naruto regained his composure before relaxing slightly. "Who are you? Do you live here?", he asked wanting to get some information. But the woman ignored him, muttering something to herself, brows furrowed in thought.  
>Naruto got a bit annoyed. He hated when people ignored him as if he didn't exist. "Hey answer me! Who are you?! And what is this place?!".<p>

The woman turned towards him, tilting her head slightly." It's a house", she stated as if he was retarded.

Naruto would have face-faulted but he resorted to glaring at her. "I know that ! I'm not THAT dumb!", he yelled before realizing the meaning behind his words..which result in his face heating up.

The woman looked amused before deciding to answer the unspoken question to stop the blonde's further embarrassment. "This is a clan house—and no it's not build under the lake. The lake was just an illusion casted over to hide it. What I am wondering is how you saw through it..." she trailed off, not noticing the look of disbelief on the blonde's face.

"EHH?! What do you mean illusion! i would have known if it was an illusion! Besides, illusions don't get you wet from jumping in it!", Naruto narrowed his eyes,"Don't try to trick me lady, I am a ninja!...well I will be a ninja soon!"

"I am not trying to trick anyone. You are missing the point", the women explained,"You thought you played in the lake but actually you didn't. Everything that was related to the lake was a trick of the mind".

Naruto's head hurt. What is she talking about? If the whole thing was a trick of the eyes/mind, then what about all the things he did and saw. What about the sunset? It was too real to be just a genjutsu!"

As if reading his mind, the bluenette answered him,"You seem to be under the impression that illusions and mirages are alike. It's more complicated than that. If an illusion is powerful enough it can even be confused with reality". She looked like she wanted to say more but stopped. Instead she turned to something behind him and spoke,"Erio dear, would you mind checking the seals?".

Wondering who she was talking to, he looked in the same direction only to get taken-aback when he saw girl around his age with dishevelled aqua blue hair staring back at him from the branch of a tree. _Where did she come from! I swear I didn't see anyone sitting there when I came here!  
><em>Naruto didn't know what happened but the next time he blinked, she was in-front of his face. Her eyes, the same colour of her hair seemed to glow as she stared straight into his own. But its wasn't a stare of curiosity or distrust. It was more like she was staring into his very soul, looking into every sin he had committed, as if saying' I know who you are more than you do'. Suppressing a shiver, he took a step back. After what felt like minutes, she broke eye contact before turning to the woman who stood patiently behind him.

A silent conversation passed between them and the older woman nodded.

"Follow me", she said curtly, before walking away.

Naruto, having no idea where she wanted to take him, turned to asked the other bluenette...only to find no sign of her anywhere.

_Maybe can she teleport, _he mused to himself eyeing the back of the older woman as she went further away. Shrugging, he followed after her. _No use standing here. _Besides, he had lots of question he needed answering.

**Author's Note:- I'm aware of the fact that I'm making lots of grammatical errors. Again, please forgive my writing. **  
><strong>Other than that, making new ideas is giving me a hard time. I didn't think of everything before I started writing this. I will try to update as soon as possible. Later :D<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

"So...", Naruto started, trying to build a conversation with the woman beside him, "Where are you taking me again?"

Said woman glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before replying, "You really talk a lot, you know that?"

"You are the one dragging me around!", The blonde replied pointed at her accusingly.

Rolling her eyes, she decided to give him an answer so as to stop his whining."We are close to where I live. Just bear a few more seconds".

Naruto, feeling satisfied, nodded. They were currently walking through a forest path where the branches of tree on either sides above them intertwined together, forming something akin to a shed. Combined with the trees, the whole thing looked like a tunnel. To say the clan's grounds were big was an understatement. Rows of houses were lined to his left a few yards away. But her companion didn't seem interested in those. Naruto couldn't help but notice everything around them was quite. Too quite.

"Where is everyone? If this is a clan compound then there should be other clansmen, right?", he asked curiously.

The answer he got wasn't exactly favourable. "Dead", she replied simply.

"...oh", he said lamely. Maybe he keep his big-mouth shut after all.

After-a-while she finally stopped, making Naruto stop as well."We're here".

in front of the duo lay a building that closely resembled a shrine. Naruto couldn't help but raise his eyebrow." You live in a shrine... Are you some kind of goddess?"

Lady blue-head( It's not his fault she didn't tell him her name!) gave an unlady-like snort. Opening the door she went ahead, leaving the blonde to catch up. The inside was illuminated by a candle chandelier. The room itself consisted of a 6 person dining table, a TV, a bookcase and a love seat. There was also an archway to the next room. A red carpet was laid on the floor, keeping his feet warm. Even though the room wasn't big, it felt cozy.  
>Lady blue-head stood a few paces away with her arms crossed, looking at him expectantly. "Well?"<p>

"At least it doesn't look like a shrine".

She rolled her eyes." Make yourself at home kid. I will get you something to eat". She paused." What do you like the most?"

With years of practice he declared," Ramen!"

For the first time, Naruto saw her smile before she left through the archway. The blonde stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. This was his first time getting invited to someone's house, even though his host was still a complete stranger to him. Making his way to the couch, he made himself comfortable. His mind drifted back to the conversation he had with the woman.

_"You seem to be under the impression that illusions and mirage are alike. It's more complicated than that. If an illusion is powerful enough it can even be confused with reality". Was it possible? He knew there were ways to break genjutsu, but what happens if the person doesn't even know he is inside a genjutsu. She said I broke the genjutsu over the clan house...but I don't remember doing anything. But come to think of it, I did felt something before... _

"If you think so hard, you will get a headache". Naruto head snapped towards voice, where she saw Lady blue-head standing with her back against the wall. To his surprise, she also saw the smaller girl playing with a volleyball at the corner of the room. _When did she get here? _

"Eat up. You don't want your ramen to get cold right?", she said, jerking her head towards the table which now held various dishes of food. Of course, hearing the word 'Ramen' instantly made Naruto's face brighten.

~~o0o~~

"So...", naruto started again after finishing his meal," Are you a ninja?"

"Hmm...yes you can say that", the bluenette in front of him confirmed, though Naruto was a bit skeptical by the way she answered. The girl with the aqua hair seemed to ignore them, playing in the corner playing with the ball and a complete disinterested look on her face. Now that he looked closer, her eyes was deep ocean blue instead of icy blue she had before. He found her face closely resemble the woman in front of her. As if the bluenette could read his mind, the woman replied," She is my daughter if you are wondering".

Naruto accepted with a nod. Okay, next question. "Why are you guys leaving here alone?"

A unreadable look crossed her face but instead of answering she enquired," Why do you ask?"

"Well, you said that other clan members are...",Naruto paused

"Dead", the woman provided helpfully.

"Dead", the blonde continued, though he still looked uncomfortable with having the thought of every person in a family dying,"So I was wondering why you two live alone. Surely this place doesn't bring pleasant memories!"

"How, do you know that?", she asked back, "I could be enjoying the solitude for all I care. I dealt many years seclusion and few more wouldn't make any difference. "

"You're wrong!", Naruto exclaimed with such intensity it surprised her," How can you say you're enjoying it! Did someone tell you are fine or are you just trying to convince yourself?", the blonde exhaled before continuing softly," You may think I'm just a kid who knows nothing but believe me when I say I know what loneliness feels like...It's painful,an overwhelming feeling of nothingness", he's mind wandered back to his village. Everyone hating him, always distancing themselves whenever he tried to reach out. " At some point, you will feel lost, having no sense of direction. And no one will be waiting to guide you. And you would do all sorts of stupid things just to get acknowledged". His eyes met hers and Naruto was surprised to see a look of understanding reflecting in them. A silence descended as seconds ticked by, neither saying anything.

Finally it was broken with the woman sighing. "Maybe you are right? Maybe I am just riding out the storm. But the fact still remains that I have no where else to go", she said with a sad smile," Everything I had is gone".

"That's not true! You can always start over!", naruto reasoned, "You can make new friends, You can visit new places! Or you can come with me back to my village!", seeing the surprised look on her face, he pressed on. "Yeah! Our village is really beautiful. It has lots of trees and animals and also the best ramen shop! You two can even come stay at my place. I live alone so house is pretty big too! I am sure Jiji wouldn't mind if I ask him! He is a pervert but he is very kind too and...eh?"

Naruto stopped noticing her listener laughing silently. Thinking she was laughing at him, he was about to yell at her before she smile at him with such warmth that his complain died down instantly. No one ever smiled at him like that. He could only remember glares and harsh whispers. Not knowing how to respond, he just kept quiet.

"I wish I could go with you to this village you highly speak of. I really do. But I can't leave this place even if I wanted to", she said regretfully.

"Sure you can—"

"I meant in literally ", she said cutting him off.

"...huh?"

"Do you know how fuinjutsu works?", she asked crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair slightly.

Naruto looked confused at the sudden change in subject but answered anyway. "Its the art of sealing objects in a scroll..?" he replied unsure.

The woman nodded accepting his vague answer. "True but lacking. It's the art of sealing,yes. But the object and the vessel into which its being sealed has no definite parameters. From living to dead, from celestial to trival— almost everything could be sealed. The only boundary I know of is an individual dimension and time itself. Of course, The more complex the system, the higher result of failure...", she trailed off noticing the lost look on the blonde's face. She stifled a laugh. _I am forgetting he is still young. Of course he won't understand these things until he grows up. _Deciding to cut right to the chase, she explained." What I'm trying to say is that my chakra is sealed inside this house".

Naruto looked at her as if she had grown two heads. Was that even possible? To seal someone inside a house, cutting them off from the outside world? And why was she sealed in the first place? But Naruto didn't care about those details right now.

"How do I unseal you?", he asked plainly even though he knew nothing about seals.

"You can't", she replied in a similar tone before pointing in the direction of the door. Following her arm, the blonde noticed a slip of paper with strange markings and symbols scribbled on it, stuck on the wall above the door.  
>" To break this seal you need more knowledge than a seal master. The one who made the seal can break it. But right now, there is no alternate solution to...where are you going?"<p>

Naruto seemed to ignore her explanation as he made his way to piece of paper. _Its too high, I need a boost. _Picking up a chair and ignoring Lady blue-head as she rambled on about how it was useless to even try, he used the furniture to elevate himself. Grinning, he rubbed his hands together before grabbing the ends of the page and pulling as hard as he could.

Nothing happened. Not even a slight tear. Not wanting to giving up easily, he grinded his teeth before pulling harder, even going as far as to use chakra. The women behind him couldn't help but praise silently. For a kid who is not even a ninja, his chakra was quite powerful. _He would make a great ninja one day, _she thought fondly before deciding to end this before he exhausted himself. The first syllable almost left her mouth before a greater, much powerful and different( yet familiar to her) chakra spiked making her freeze and eyes to widen. Her daughter seemed to pick it up as well because she stopped fooling around, looking at the blonde enigma in shock.

Naruto had felt this 'feeling' before, back then just before the lake had vanished. A burning sensation seemed to spread inside his body, travelling all the way through his hands, to his fingers and into the sealing paper. And Naruto could feel the paper giving away. Determined he poured more chakra before his vision turned red.

The explosion that occurred sent the blonde flying backwards before he crashed into the wall, make a dent. Coughing he sat up, trying to get rid of the smoke. When his vision cleared, he saw two people staring at him as if he was some kind of an alien.

Holding up the burnt bit of whatever was left of the seal, he smile cheekily at the older bluenette, "You really whine a lot, you know that?", he countered to her earlier teasing.

A moment passed before the shocked look on her face turned into quiet chuckling which eventually manifested into a full-blown laughter. But it wasn't humourless or filled with malice. It was one of joy, of freedom. It made you believe you were still alive. As if you finally found something that gave you hope. Naruto was caught off guard when she suddenly tackled him into a hug. He squirmed but stilled when he heard her sobbing quietly. "Thank you...thank you...", she whispered again and again pulling him closer. Looking over her shoulders, Naruto saw the younger girl, her eyes still wide and face streaming with tears, fall down on her knees. _They must have had a hard time, _he realized, a sad smile tugging his lips. Gradually, the sobbing quietened down before the woman pulled away, wiping the last of her tears before flicking the blonde's forehead.

"OW! what that for old lady!", he asked glaring at her.

"Don't do anything stupid like that again! You could have gotten hurt!", she tried to sound angry but naruto could hear the worry etched in her voice.

He looked away" Well it worked didn't it...and I promised to bring you back to Konoha, didn't I?". He turned back giving her his infamous grin," And I never go back on my word, dattebayo!"

"Were you serious about that?", she asked her tone hopeful," About bringing us with you to your village?"

"Dead serious", Naruto replied 'seriously'.

The woman turned to other female in the room and their eyes met. Another silent conversation passed between them, which made Naruto wonder if they could use telepathy, before the bluenette got up and announced," Get your things packed up. We are leaving at dawn", and shimmered out of existence. Looking bewildered, Naruto turned to the other girl...only to find she was gone too.

"Okay, I have got to learn that", he noted away in his to-do-list, before falling asleep then and there, the toll of using so much chakra taking over.

**Author's note:- So? How is it? If you feel I'm missing something or if you find any loop holes, please comment in the note section, Until then, Later :D**


	6. Chapter 5

Dawn broke as Naruto made his way back to his village with his two new companion, _Meme Touwa_ and _Erio Touwa _( he had finally gotten their names, though a strange look passed their face when they heard his last name 'Uzumaki'). Also for some reason, they didn't know anything about their current society. _Did you live under a rock or something?, _Naruto had asked which resulted in him getting bopped on the head. Still he explained everything he knew about the current world—the hidden villages, the village leaders, how the economy worked. He described his village as best as he could, starting from his best ramen shop to the policies and rules of shinobi's. He talked about the academy and how he would skip class to creating new pranks. He talked about his classmates and how cute 'Sakura-chan' was( Meme teased him for it until a red faced Naruto politely told her to 'shut up') and how much of a bastard 'Sasuke-teme' was. Even as Naruto explained the whole time, he didn't failed to notice how lively both of them look. During their time in the clan compound their eyes were dull and lifeless, as if they had given up on everything. But now even Erio, who Naruto thought couldn't show any emotions, gave him a shy smile every time he looked at him. Eyes brimming with exhilaration, they looked like giddy school girls, taking in everything around them with wide eyes. Naruto wanted to laugh at their expressions but controlled himself. Instead he decided to take in their appearances.

Normally in the ninja world, shinobi would wear outfits that would give them maximum flexibility so that they don't become a burden while fighting. Also they wouldn't wear eye-catching clothes...especially orange jumpsuits( The blonde glares at the Author). But gazing at the duo, they looked more like tourists than ninjas.

Meme was dressed in a deep blue blazer over a white shirt and a pencil-skirt. She was pulling a trolley half-her size behind her that held all their necessities. Erio on the other hand was wearing a tiered white dress and a matching fedora hat wile carrying a small handbag. When Naruto questioned their choice of clothing, Meme retorted saying he had no fashion sense while Erio said she preferred light clothing.

"So Touwa-san", Naruto addressed Meme before he noticed the pout she was giving him,"What?"

"I told you to call me Meme. And don't put that _san _crap. It makes me feel old", her eyes glinted mischievously," or you can call me oba-chan! C'mon say it!", she insisted giving him the puppy-dog eyes...which was awkward. Naruto sighed.

"Fine...oba-chan", she squealed childishly," Are you gonna enroll Erio in the academy?"

Erio, perking at her name, looked at her mother for confirmation. Meme hummed in thought before turning to her. "Erio-chan?"

The smaller bluenette seemed to fidget slightly," I don't know. I have never been in an academy before...". She looked at naruto expectantly. "_Shounen_?"

"It's Naruto! My name his Naruto! And if you are uncomfortable right now you can always join later", he provided.

Erio seemed content with his advice. She turned back to continue walking silently.

During their walk, Naruto noticed Meme was nervous for some reason. He met her eyes and Meme saw the silent question he was asking. Biting her lips, she replied," Naruto can I ask you a favour?", seeing him nod she continued," Can you keep the lake a secret? I know it's selfish for me to ask you to lie to your Hokage, but I prefer if someone didn't find out about our clan yet. There will be too many questions, which I don't really want to answer and—"

"Sure no problem", Naruto said off-handedly. Why not? She trusted him enough to go back to the village with her, a foreign village in her case. And besides, its not the first time he would be lying to the Hokage.  
>Meme was a bit surprised at his quick agreement but smiled gratefully.<p>

The two continued making small chat before, not too later, the sight of the gates of Konoha came into view. "We are almost there! That's the gate!", he announced.

Arriving they only got to walk a few steps before a squad of anbu dropped infront of them. "Uzumaki, the hokage requested your pressence immediately", the one in the middle ordered," And the two of you need to show your identifications before you can go any further", he continued looking at the females beside him.

Naruto cursed silently. He completely forgot to mention about the security policies to them. So when Meme pulled out two identification documents, he was finding it very hard to keep the surprised look off his face. The anbu examined them for a moment, flipping through the pages before handing them back. " You two are requested an audience with the Hokage as well", he finished before all of them vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving the trio behind.

As soon as they were gone, Naruto rounded on the older bluenette. "When did you make a document?"

"Right now", she replied.

"...huh? how?..."

"I will show you later", she winked before pushing him forward," Lets go! You don't want to keep the old man waiting right?".

Naruto rolled his eyes but did as compelled, Erio following behind closely.

~~o0o~~

The trio now stood infront of the most powerful shinobi in the village as said person scrutinized them with sharp eyes. _Oh boy, _naruto sighed mentally, _Jiji seems more serious. I really need to be careful of what I say._ He's glanced at his other two companion to see there face completely devoid of emotion. _They are good._

"Uzumaki Naruto", Sarutobi called out," My anbu reported you missing yesterday from your campsite and this morning you come back with two other contacts whose identification file states them as the only surviving members of the Touwa clan, am I correct?". Seeing them nod he continued," Though I personally never heard of this clan but we will talk about that later. Right now I would like to know your story Naruto-kun", he turned towards the blonde who had a sheepish expression on his face, "where did you dissapear yesterday?"

"I kinda got lost", he lied scratching his head in fake embaressment.

"Lost?", Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

"Remember the shooting stars I talked about?", the blonde continued," I saw one fall really close by! And I kinda tried looking for it ...and i got lost in the dark.". Naruto mentally grimaced. This must be the worst lie he ever told in history.

"And how did you get acquainted with them?", his eyes briefly flickered at the two females. Naruto could tell he didn't look one-bit convinced with his story. Before he could speak again, Meme intervened.

"Hokage-sama", she said with a respectful tone, "Forgive my boldness, but can I have an audience with you...in personal", she added eyeing the anbu pointedly that were hiding in the shadows at the corners of the room.

Sarutobi stared at her impassively. "Can I ask the subject of the discussion you wish to bring forth?"

"In personal", she recited stubbornly.

The two stared down for a minute before Hiruzen formed a hand-sign.

"But Hokage-sama! They could be the enemy—", one anbu complained but was cut off.

"I sense no ill-will from them Boar. Also don't forget that I am still the hokage and can hold my own ground. I am not that old you know", Sarutobi said jokingly.

Boar nodded reluctantly before him and the rest of them shunshined away, leaving the trio with their leader.

"Hokage-sama", the bluenette began, " I must first apologize for my actions. I was the one who persuaded Naruto-kun to lie to you". Naruto looked at her worried. "But I assure you I had very good reasons", she finished.

The Hokage stared her her before nodding." Since you admitted your mistakes I shall let this pass this time. But even if you had your reasons, I can't let two unknown shinobi stay inside my village".

"But jiji! They are good peopl—", Naruto was cut off by Meme raising her hand.

"Thank you for your support Naruto-kun", she replied smiling at him before turning back to the leader," But you should understand that Hokage-sama has his own duties as the leader of the village. He has the right to suspect me as a spy or an enemy. Don't be quick to trust others Naruto. As a ninja, you should never let your guard down. You never know what they're plotting inside their heads"

Sarutobi nodded in agreement." Then you should understand why I cannot fully trust you without any evidence".

"Then I believe I can show you something that will make you trust us", Meme said before stepping forward and offering a handshake. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at the gesture before standing up and taking her hand. Naruto watched as his grandfather's eyebrows shot up in surprise. They stood there for a few minutes, neither saying a word to each other, before the Hokage's features relaxed. " I see", he said. His eyes held no hint of previous suspicion. He smiled," Welcome to our village".

Naruto was staring at him mouth agape. _Does this always happen when people do a handshake?! Or did she do that mind-talking thingy? _

"Just to confirm Meme-san, do you want me to arrange an appartment or is Naruto-kun willing to share his?", he asked though he already knew the answer.

"Never! I can't possibly leave 'Naruto-chan' alone! He will get lonely without Meme-chan~", she replied playfully.

"Oi!", a indignant voice complained.

"Very well, I shall leave him in your care Meme-san", Sarutobi said, trying to hide his amusement.

"It's my house! I am the host here old man!".

"Naruto-chan you whine too much!".

Naruto was seriously considering kicking them out the moment they enter his house. A small tug made him aware of Erio pulling his sleeves. He gave her a questionable look when she bowed her head slightly. "Please take care of us".

Instantly, Naruto anger melted replaced by a grin," Of course! You can count on me!".

As they left the office room, Sarutobi's thoughts wandered back to his conversation with Meme. _Never imagined I would see this day. To think people like them are still out there. _He rubbed his forehead tiredly. Things will be interesting from now on...he just knew it.

**Author's Note:- Damn this was harder than i thought. Oh by the way I should tell you that i will be making a lot of changes. I will not just copy everything that happens in the manga/anime. Its no fun when you know whats gonna happen next, right? xD**


	7. Chapter 6

The day had passed rather quickly. After the episode with the Hokage, Naruto had given them a tour around the village before taking the duo to where he lived. Needless to day, both had mixed feelings about the surrounding area. Not everyone preferred to live in the Red-light district after all. The house itself looked more like a junkyard. Trash and debris littered everywhere on the floor. The windows were smashed with the shutters barely hanging off the hinges. The walls outside were covered in graffiti with the words "_DEMON_" and "_DIE_" scrawled on it...not exactly a good first impression.  
>Naruto walked to the front door. His expression showed that the situation before him wasn't something new. Opening the door, he motioned for the two bluenettes to follow. The house itself was mostly vacant, only having a 4 person dining table, a fridge and a cupboard. A clock hanged on the wall telling them it was already half past ten. A silence descended with the only sound being the 'tick-tock' of the clock . Naruto scratched his whisker marks nervously. <em>Okay... so what do I do next? <em>

Before he could think of anything, Meme spoke up. "OK! Looks like it's time to show the world what Meme-chan can do! Watch your oba-chan closely Naruto-kun!", she said excitedly before summoning a...broom from thin air. Then she threw the stick at the blonde.

Naruto gave her an incredulous look." I thought you were helping me clean!"

"Tsk. How naive you can be sometimes Naruto-chan",she chirped.

**Two broom smacks and one hysterical scream later...**

"Naruto-kun! Meme-chan says sorry! Please let me in!", a wailing Meme could be seen scratching the front door of said blonde's apartment.

"Meme-san please stop whining, you are bothering the neighbours", Naruto chided from the other side of the door.

Meme pouted. "I told you to call me oba-chan", she said before a mischievous grin broke her face. Gathering her chakra, she pointed her finger at the keyhole. _Click!_ Then she did a grand entrance. "Meme-chan is bac—"and was instantly drenched by a bucket of water that fell on her head.

Naruto was laughing his ass off. That trick worked every time! "That's for making fun of me!",he spoke up between laughs before a dark menacing feeling forced his mouth shut. A shiver ran down his spine when he saw violet aura leaking out off the bluenette's body. She gave him an eerie smile, "Playing with fire burns Naruto-kun. Its really burns"

Two minutes later, Naruto was mourning for his orange jumpsuit which now was a smoking pile of ash. Tears steamed down his face as he kneeled beside his 'loved one'. "May your soul rest in peace my dear orange jumpsuit". He clapped his hands twice. Erio held a bouquet of weeds which he gladly took and placed it on the 'grave'. She patted his back gently, her eyes showing sympathy and...satisfaction?

Meme watched the whole thing with fascination. It was not everyday you see the funeral of a jumpsuit. Naruto looked at her with heart-broken eyes. "Why?"

"Because it's fun to burn orange objects!", she answered brightly.

"You are nuts, you know that?!"

"Kya~ ! Stop it Naruto-kun, you're making me blush!", she replied with hands on her cheeks much to the annoyance of a fuming Naruto. "Okay lets make a deal. I was planning on buying stuff anyway, so how about I buy you some new clothes as an apology? But 'I' will choose what to buy", she grinned at him triumphantly. Naruto was ready to complain but sighed. He knew he would'nt be able to convince her anyway.

Meme nodded at his compliance before pointing somewhere randomly. "Lets go Erio-chan! Naruto-chan! To the market!"

"Just to make sure, you do have money right?"

Meme stood in the same pose for a few more seconds before turning back to the blonde with a sheepish look."...do you know where I can get some?"

Naruto just banged his head against the wall repeatedly.

~~o0o~~

The trio had headed out shortly when the older blunette spotted a gambling bar nearby. She had to told them to wait before making her way inside. Fifteen minutes later, she came back with a huge bundle of cash. Naruto had wondered if she had cheated or was just plain lucky. Afterwards, they had bought two beds, some daily accessories, a bookshelf, and some other small furniture and utensils. Naruto sealed everything inside a scroll before Meme proceeded with her promise.  
>The Sun had already started to set when they finished everything and was heading back. Naruto was glad they had everything they needed to settle down. It had been tiring for him running after an ecstatic Meme who seemed to shunshin from one shop to another. He never heard of someone with such a shopping spirit.<p>

"Look it's that kid. Isn't he—"

"Shh. We are not supposed to talk about that, remember?"

Naruto grimaced. _Great, just what I needed. _Like always, he had no idea what they were talking about. He tried to ignore the voices but it was getting on his nerves. Curses and killing intent came his way but Naruto simply waved them off. He could feel the gazes of his companions but he ignored them. What would he say anyway?

"Hey who's that chick? Is she a tourist?"

"Maybe, but why is she and that girl following that scum?"

"Do you think the two know him?"

Naruto's eyes widened. _This is bad. If they think we know each other, who knows what they might try to do. _Without thinking, he shot to the rooftops before sprinting away ignoring Meme's shout to stop. Not too later, he arrived at his apartment. Going inside, he tried to look for anything to distract him for his angry thoughts. That distraction came in trying to get his broken window fixed. Taking some spare glass pieces from his cupboard, he went to work on the first window when a familiar voice spoke up.

"You know, it's not polite to leave two women behind on their own"

Naruto stiffened. _How long had she been here? _He turned around to see both of his housemates beside the door. Erio looked at him worriedly while Meme supported an unreadable look. "You seem to have a good reputation among the people here", she said.

"It's none of your business!", Naruto snapped before turning back. He knew he was being unreasonable. And then were just curious (or worried maybe). But he was too frustrated right now.

Meme's eyes softened. Seeing the blonde go back to fixing the windows, she said "Here, let me help".Where the glass is placed, Naruto saw the air around it waver. Then suddenly, it started to condense and solidify. It was similar to how water turned to ice, except in this case, the air crystallized to glass. He noticed that every gap in window was now fixed.  
>Naruto would have stared in awe if the situation wasn't so tense. Standing up, he muttered a small 'thanks' before heading towards his bedroom. He was halfway across when the next question froze him, "Do you want to know why the villagers hate you?"<p>

His head snapped towards her, his eyes wide."What?"

"I know the reason why they despise you. And I know that you are not aware of why and that the Hokage had passed a law that forbids anyone from talking about it"

Naruto's head was swirling with thoughts. He had a reason for being hated? And Jiji knew about it? Why didn't he tell him? Another thought struck him and his eyes narrowed."How do you know about this?", he asked the bluenette.

Meme shrugged."Lets says its one of my talents. I can hear someone's thoughts".

"You can read people's mind?", Naruto asked surprised.

"Thoughts", Meme corrected, "It's not what you're thinking. I can't delve into someone's mind and read them like a book. I can only hear what they are thinking at the moment. It's not a keke genkai but I have to release a constant amount of chakra to use it". Seeing the look Naruto was giving her, she said, "No Naruto, I don't go around reading people's thoughts. I respect their privacy. But back then, I was surprised to see such hate towards a child. That's when I found out what the cause was".

"What is it?", Naruto tried to hide it but his voice was desperate, "Can you tell me?"

The bluenette stared at him for a moment before turning towards her daughter. "Erio-chan?"she consented.

Erio nodded before moving forward and placing her index and middle fingers on his forehead. Naruto gave Meme a questioning look to which she replied, "Erio-chan has a better grasp about the human mind. Unlike me, she can read or even control someone's consciousness. That's why we decided it would be better to show you directly".

"Itoko, close your eyes", she said.

"It's Naruto", he rectified. She had picked up a silly habit of calling him 'Itoko' because he called Meme 'oba-chan'. Still he did as he was told and closed his eyes. Instantly, he felt his conscious slip away.

~~o0o~~

_Drip._

Where am I? What happened?

_Drip._

Naruto blinked his eyes open, but he couldn't make out anything around him. It was dark.

_Drip._

"Glad to see that you finally woke up. I was getting worried there", a familiar voice echoed in his ears. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness before the face of one Meme Touwa came into view. Beside her stood Erio, looking at him with glowing blue eyes, like the ones she had in their first encounter. Sitting up, he saw the floor was submerged in water. Yet he didn't get wet for some reason.

"Where am I?". he decided to voice his question.

"This is your subconsciousness, Naruto-kun", Meme replied helpfully, "Or in simple words, what your mind looks like".

Looking around once more, Naruto noticed numerous pipes, each with different radius, running across the walls and sometimes intersecting or overlapping each other. Some of the pipes had water dripping down from a small leakage in them. It didn't take a genius to figure out where he was.

"My mind looks like a sewer", Naruto stated flatly.

Meme stifled a laugh at his expression, but patted his head gently. "Ma, Ma, don't be so down. There maybe reason for this current development". She paused. "Or it could be the result of a psychological scar".

The blonde just shrugged. In the end, it didn't change the fact that it was a sewer. Standing up he turned to the older bluenette, "So what is it you wanted to show me?"

Meme's face turned serious. With a nod, she mentioned Erio to lead the way. The trio walked in silence along the tunnel, with the only sound of their feet splashing against the water surface resounding in their ears. After a minute or two, they reached an opening. The room they arrived in was huge. But what caught Naruto's eyes was the massive gates at the end of the hallway. It looked more like a cage to hold something with a single slip of paper stuck over the lock. Naruto made out the word "SEAL" written on it. Beyond the cage lay nothing but darkness. Naruto took a step forward before a hand fell on his shoulders, making him stop. He glanced quizzically at Meme who shook her head slightly.

Then he felt it.

The bloodlust. The malice. An enormous pressure descended upon them. Naruto would have fallen on his knees if it wasn't for Meme whose grip on his shoulders tightened. A pair of blood-red eyes with vertical black slits revealed themselves from behind the shadows of the cage. Subsequently, the silhouette of a celestial fox with nine-tails swinging behind emerged.

Naruto didn't need anyone to identify this creature for him. He had heard the stories in the academy. Of a gigantic nine-tailed fox, whose fur the colour of blood, rained destruction and chaos among the village. Hundreds of shinobis fought the beast only to fall under its mighty strength. That was until a man, the fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life to kill the beast. On that day he became a hero in everyone's eyes. The man who slayed a demon.

"Kyuubi...", his voice was barely a whisper.

**Author's Note: ****_ Many fo you are probably finding the story boring. I can't blame u. I feel the same way. But u can't blame me! Naruto is still 8 years old...not even a genin. And I can't seem to find anything that could make it interesting...other then just follow the main story. I do have some plans in the future. But it would be a real help if u guys recommendd any ideas in the reviews._**

_**Also, I might not be able to update for a while. Exams are coming**_**T_T**


	8. Chapter 7

Naruto thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. This was not possible. The Kyuubi was dead, right? He had particularly paid attention to that history lesson. Was that a lie? Then what about the stories of the hero? The Fourth Hokage. Was he just some fictional character born from their imagination?...No. That man existed. He was sure of it. But then, was it just their assumption that the Kyuubi had been defeated? More importantly, why is he inside his mindscape?

"Naruto!", Meme's yell broke him out of his stupor, "Are you alright?". Her eyes reflected worry and hesitance. Naruto nodded weakly. Right now, he needed an explanation of this anomaly infront of him.

Meme knelt down to his eye-level. She gipped both of his shoulders and looked him in the eye."Do you know about the kyuubi?". Naruto merely nodded. A moment later, she continued. "Remember how I told you about Erio's abilities to read memories? When she saw how the villagers were acting hostile, she read their minds to figure out why. Most of their reasons were irrational, until she came upon someone who had a neutral state of mind. He radiated no hate towards you... Instead there was guilt for some reason. From him, she learned about the kyuubi incident...the true incident".

"True incident", Naruto repeated, giving her his full attention.

Meme nodded."Listen carefully Naruto-kun. I will show you everything but promise me you will not jump into conclusions", her eyes hold seriousness Naruto never saw. It was as if the women infront of him was different, yet the same. Naruto wanted the answer. It was an answer he sought for everyday, every moment. And now he would finally get it no-matter what.

"Very well". And then, Naruto's vision spun. And he saw everything. The attack. The screams of terror. Deaths. Hundreds of bodies lying around. It was like he was there, seeing everything from someone else's view. Of whom, he no idea. He saw a little girl, crying over the motionless body of a woman, her mother maybe. She didn't seem to care about her surroundings, of the buildings that came down crumbling around her, or the beast that came lumbering behind her, it's red eyes gleaming like a predator. Naruto screamed, telling her to run, yet his voice was silent. And then it was over in an instant. A massive paw fell over her fragile body, blood spattering on the nearby wall. Dead. Another body. The fiend breathed out an inferno. A raging fire filled vision and the smell of burning flesh hit his senses. _STOP!, _he mentally screamed.  
>His vision blurred again and this time they were in a forest clearing. There was the Hokage, standing over the body of a blonde haired man and a woman with fiery red hair. In her arms lay a child with small golden hair poking out of his head and three whisker marks on each cheeks. A strange black spiral with markings was glowing on his belly. There was no sight of the Kyuubi. He suddenly recognished the blonde man. He was the Yondaime. His eyes was closed and had a gaping hole on his stomach. Dead. His eyes travelled to the woman who looked like she was resting, a peaceful expression etched on her face. But Naruto knew she was just barely alive. Her face was pale, her breathing slightly ragged. And most importantly, she had a similar wound on her stomach. Her eyes were an empty violet but seemed to fill with warmth as she gazed at the child. Sarutobi leaned forward, taking the infant from her arms.<p>

"Please take care of him. Will you?, her voice was barely a whisper.

"Kushina, I give you my word, I will treat him as my own child... What should I call him?"

"Naruto", she replied, the light in her eyes fading. Yet she smiled," His name is Naruto".

~~o0o~~

Naruto gasped, falling on his hands. His entire body was numb but his mind was racing. _That child was me! It has to be! But who was that woman? Was she...no it couldn't be, right? I mean, jiji told me my parents were on a journey! But how did she know my name? I saw the Fourth die, but what happened to the Kyuubi? How is —_

"Naruto!", his head jerked up to see Meme looking down at him worriedly, "Calm down!".

It was then he realized, he was hyperventilating. Closing his eyes, he eased his breathing before exhaling audibly. "What... just happened?"

"I showed you the memory", Meme answered, "Of the person who saw... no, experienced the kyuubi assault. I...I should apologize. I didn't take into account the mental side affects of this procedure".

Naruto shook his head. Though he wished Meme would have warned him first. But right now, he had more important questions.

"I saw the fourth hokage die...but where did the kyuubi go? Did the Fourth kill him before dying?"

"Naruto", Meme began, "Tailed beasts cannot be killed. As you know, there a nine tailed beasts in this world, each named after their tails. They are beings made of pure chakra. To keep them at bay, mankind decided to seal them. But...the only vessel that can seal them are humans...newborn human sacrifices. They are termed as Jinchuriki".

Suddenly everything clicked. The red seal on child in the memory, the hostile treatment of the villagers, the calls of 'Demon' and 'Murderer' and the visage of the kyuubi itself infront of him, it all fell into pieces.

"I am a Jinchuriki", his murmur was met with silence. "That ..._thing _is sealed inside me". He turned to Meme, "No wonder they called me a monster".

Meme frowned. "I warned you not to jump into conclusions"

"But its not too far from the truth, right? People who hosts demons are demons themselves".

"Don't be irrational". Surprisingly, it was Erio who spoke. She was staring at the kyuubi with those glowing eyes of hers. "You are simply its jailer. Like mother said, don't jump into conclusions. It's up to you to decide what you are".

"Ahh I see you two are having a private conversation", Meme commented with slight amusement, her eyes darting between Erio and the kyuubi.

"**Interesting**". For the first time Naruto heard it speak. It's voice was demonic and deep, echoing off the walls,"**To see someone inherit the same eyes**".

Seeing Erio stay silent, it's red eyes travelled to Naruto. "**Seems you have taken a liking to my weakling of a vessel". **

Naruto glared, "Shut up teme".

The kyuubi grinned sinisterly. "**Watch your tongue, puny human. I can kill you in an instant if I want to"**

"I would like to see you try furball!".

The Kyuubi growled dangerously but chose to ignore him at the moment. Instead he focused on the last visitor. Meme stared back emotionlessly. " We meet again...though the circumstances are very different", she greeted to which the Kyuubi just grunted.

Naruto looked at Meme with wide-eyes. "You know him?!"

"We were acquainted once...but that different story for some other time", she replied when she saw his questioning look. She turned back to the beast. "Never would have thought you would end up like this".

The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. "**Speak for yourself, woman. Seems to me you are quite enjoining the company of these disgusting humans**".

Meme shook her head. "I have no intention of agreeing with there laws and morals. Never will I discard my own notions and offer any form of support. Although...", she glanced at Naruto, smiling," I do intend to stick a while longer with your...host".

The Kyuubi stared at her a bit longer before his for retreated back into the shadows. "**Do as you wish. I have lost interest in you. Now remove your presence from me"**, he said distastefully.

"Hey who the hell do you think you are ordering—"

"Naruto, enough", Meme interjected. "We are leaving".

Before Naruto could protest, he felt a tug before his vision dissolved into darkness.

~~o0o~~

Shortly Naruto had regained his senses. Meme had expected him to start firing questions the moment he opened his eyes, but to her surprised he kept quiet. Sitting on the chair, he stared out off the window with a vacant look, but Meme knew he was thinking. Erio excused herself before heading outside to do her own chores...whatever that was. Meme remained behind knowing she had things to explained. Finally, Naruto broke the silence.

"Do I look like a monster?".

Meme was slightly taken aback by his query but gave him her answer. "If you ask me, all I see is a loudmouthed blonde kid who likes ramen and has a heart filled with kindness and determination".

Naruto gave her a small smile, "Sorry I asked a such a weird question".

Meme stood up before heading towards him and enveloping him in a hug. Naruto was surprised by the gesture but regardless,accepted it. "Don't believe what people want you to think", Meme murmured softly, "Just believe in your heart and you will never have any regrets".

"I will make them acknowledge me one day", Naruto spoke with resoluteness.

"How?". Meme shifted so she could see his face.

"I will train hard and become Hokage one day! Then everyone will come to respect me!", the blonde answered.

"So you thrive for acceptance and reputation. Is that your goal?", Meme questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you understand the duties of a Hokage? Can you sacrifice the lives of others in the name of your village?", seeing the hesitance in his eyes she continued, "Can you make other go though the same life as yourself if its for the sake of the village?"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "I will never let anyone go though the same life as mine".

A small smile formed on her lips. "Then you must first abandon the thought of gaining respect, Naruto. Don't run after it, make it come to you." _With your burden, it will be years before you get any respect, _Meme thought inwardly.

"Then what do I do?", Naruto asked as Meme stood up.

"You said you wanted to be strong right?", she asked to which the blonde nodded. "If you want, I can train you personally"

"Really?!", An excited look formed on the blonde's face, "You are gonna teach me cool jutsus?!"

Meme laughed lightly at the Naruto's enthusiasm but shook her head, much to the blonde's surprise. "Not really jutsus. It's neither ninjutsu, genjutsu or fuuinjutsu..."

"...What I will teach you is a forgotten ninja art"

**Author's note (read): I realize this story is going slow so i'm gonna speed it up. Like by skipping conversations and just giving the summary. Naturally, I won't skip important conversations. Eg;- **_Naruto remembered Meme telling him to not spill anything about the kyuubi so blah blah_ **(I won't write the conversations in quotes coz if u know what i mean. its not important)**

**If u guys feel it's a bad idea please review...REVIEW! XD **

**That's all. later**

**~velsked (deceased)**


	9. Chapter 8

Meme flipped another page of the book she was currently reading. Sitting quietly on a wooden chair on the balcony of the Naruto's apartment, she skimmed through the pages of '_Seal master volume 2'_ with the moon providing the only source of illumination.

It had been two weeks since the revelation of the Kyuubi. Naruto had continued with his daily schedule though his personality had changed slightly. He had become more silent compared to the loudmouth he had been at the beginning. Even though he talked a lot and was always enthusiastic around her, Meme couldn't help but notice he acted distant. Especially around the Hokage. It became worse after the Kyuubi made a shocking revelation.

Naruto often came into contact with the beast well he fell asleep. That would usually lead to some kind of dispute or the Kyuubi tricking him to remove the seal. During one such argument, the Kyuubi revealed that the fourth was actually his father. Bearing the mentality of a child, this only lead to confoundment and later, ire. Anger towards his village for treating him like trash when his father sacrificed everything to save their lives. And anger towards the Hokage for keeping him in the dark all these years. When he had asked her the reason instead of directly confronting the Hokage, she gave him the mosy logical reasoning:

_"Naruto, even though you deserved to know about your heritage, the information was dangerous if it was revealed to the public. You are still not trained to control your emotions, and if by mistake you revealed anything that hinted towards your parents, you would be the first person in the bingo book list. From the biography I read about your father, he had many enemies ranging from genins to even kages. Don't hold this against the old man...he only thought of your safety"._

Though this had quelled his anger, the frustration still remained. Not that she can blame him. A tinge of guilt welled inside her. _Maybe I'm taking it too fast. _But she wanted to remove all doubts and queries from his mind. Why? Because the training she planned for him would require a clear thinking of the mind. Questions and lack of understanding will only become a hindrance. As her eyes scanned the last pages of the book, a soft breeze announced the arrival of an individual.

"Did you find anything?". Meme asked without looking up.

"I did. And also something...troubling as well", a female voice answered.

Shutting the book, Meme turned towards Erio who had her back towards her staring at the moon with her feet dangling over the balcony railings. She wore a dark maroon cloak that contrasted with her dazzling aqua hair. Turning to her mother she met her eyes, "Let me show you".

A minute passed as the two seem to stare at each other before Meme's eyes widened and her face turned grim. "That really is an inconvenience...to think that clan will settle here...", she sighed before flashing Erio a smile. "But I'm sure Naruto will appreciate the the other information you gathered".

Erio nodded happily before a sad look replaced it. "Itoko is not being himself..."

Meme glanced in the direction where Naruto was sleeping in his bed. "People change under circumstances, Erio-chan. We all do".

~~o0o~~

Naruto woke up to the smell of grilled fish. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he climbed out of bed before making his way to the kitchen. He greeted Erio who greeted back with a small smile before spotting Meme working in the kitchen. "What's the occasion?", he asked lazily. Normally he was the one who got up first and made breakfast.

Meme grinned. "Just get ready and you will know".

Naruto raised an eyebrow but shrugged and did just that. Food was already on the table when he came back. Muttering and 'ittadakimasu' he dig in but noticed the smiles his companions had.

"What?", he asked to which Meme passed something across the table. Flipping it over, Naruto saw it was a photograph of beautiful red-haired women. His eyes widened when he recognized her from the memory of the Kyuubi attack. "T-This.."

Meme nodded. "Your mother, just as you thought. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki, born in the Land of Whirlpools. She came to Konoha for reasons unknown...She died during the Kyuubi attack. I think you know how", she paused, "Though its strange...there is no record of Minato and Kushina getting married...maybe they kept this a secret".

Naruto was staring at picture with overwhelming emotions. Her she looked so happy as she waved in a silly way, flashing a dazzling smile towards the camera. Her eyes were full of life instead of the dead ones embedded in his memory. He felt something wet trailing down his cheeks and was surprised to see he was crying. He finally knew his parents! He was just not some orphan anymore!

Meme watched his expression with a sad smile. As his life has been, no wonder things like these will make him so happy. She made a mental vow to support the blonde in any way possible.

Naruto finally looked up from the picture. "W-Where did you get this?", his voice was a bit shaky.

"You should be thanking her". she replied tilting her head towards Erio. Naruto turned to the girl and gave a smile full of warmth. "Thank you Erio".

Erio reddened at the show of gratitude but muttered a small 'welcome' in his meal, Naruto stood up and nodded to the older blunette. "I am should be heading off". And with that he ran out of the door.

Jumping on the rooftops he made his way to the academy with a smiled plastered on his face. Suddenly a reminder struck him. _Damn I needed to buy some shuriken, _he thought scolding himself for forgetting. Stopping on the roof he wondered if he should enter the shops. Most of the times he got kicked out or overcharged. And his henge still need practice. Sighing, he decided to face fate was just heading towards the shopping district when he spotted an unfamiliar shop at the corner of an alley. Judging by it's looks, it was a weapon shop. _Well will you look at that..._

Jumping of the rooftops he sprinted towards it in hope of getting a chance to buy something.

~~o0o~~

Takao let out a breath of boredom. Not a single customer came all morning. It wasn't that his shop was poor, no. It was just unpopular cause a select few knew about it. He was actually a famed blacksmith and he made it a habit to craft weapons after an order comes and not pre-craft weapons. That why his shop was mostly vacant of items and customers. That's why he was surprised when the doorbell tinkled and a new face came in.

He was a small boy with sun-kissed blonde hair with crystal blue eyes and had three whisker marks adorned on each cheeks. He wore a dark short-sleeved high collar jacket left open at the torso to reveal a grey-blue t-shirt underneath and blue pants with bandages wrapped below the knee and on the left thigh where his weapon pouched was strapped. He also had a pair of white bands that covered his sleeves and the standard black shinobi sandals.

Takao recognized the boy immediately who slowly entered the shop, his eyes darting everywhere before falling on the owner's face. Takao knew of him being a jinchuriki but he was one of those who didn't jump to conclusions and thought rationally. His reason for recognizing him was different.

"Heh. You look just like Minato". He said nonchalantly. He then blinked when the blonde seemed to teleport infront of him and opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it.

Takao raised an eyebrow. "Judging by your reaction, you seem to know about your father". He was proven right when the blonde's eye's widened.

"You knew my father?"

The blacksmith chuckled. "He was a regular customer here. We eventually became good friends". His eyes glassed over as if he was remembering the past. "Your father was a funny lad. Known him since he was a chuunin. He would always come here to skip classes and we would chat all day". His eyes twinkled as he looked at Naruto. "Funny. This fells like déjà vu ".

Naruto relaxed before giving him a sheepish grin. "If you want I could follow my dad's example".

The man laughed good-heartedly. "I will look forward to that". He raised his hand. "The names Takao".

"Naruto Uzumaki", the blonde replied with a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Takao-san".

Takao nodded. "Now tell me what you need lad".

As Naruto exited the shop, a small grin broke his face. "The day just keeps getting better".

~~o0o~~

Sarutobi was now busy with the bane of all Hokages. "Stupid paperwork", he grumbled, stamping another sheet. Taking a break, he slumped on his chair pulling out his pipe. He thoughts wandered to a certain blonde who had been visiting less often. Though he would never admit, he was worried that Naruto was trying to avoid him. Whenever he would come to get his allowance, he would not meet his eye and would try to cut the conversation short. He was wondering if he should use the crystal ball to check on him when a voice spoke up over his shoulders.

"Even though you're the Hokage you really like to slack off".

Sarutobi jumped startled and wheeled behind to see Meme standing there with a innocent grin. Three anbus dropped from the ceiling but Hiruzen raised a hand telling them to leave.

"You surprised me Meme. That some high level of stealth you possess", he praised to which the bluenette just shrugged.

Taking their respective seats with Meme sitting infront of Hizuren, she laughed lightly when Sarutobi started picking the papers he had spilled from the initial surprise. "Sorry for increasing your work".

The Hokage mumbled something incoherent before settling back into his chair, pipe in hand. "So what brings you here Meme?"

"It's about Naruto", she answered her voice serious. The Hokage raised an eyebrow telling her to continue. "I have witnessed something at his academy when I went for a visit to see the educational system", she held his gaze, "The teacher's seemed specially...strict towards him. Maybe because of a certain fox".

The Hokage looked at her shocked. "How do you...?"

"It's not hard to figure out. With his birthday being the day of the kyuubi attack and the treatment of the villagers and all that", she lied convincingly.

"Does Naruto...?"

"...You will have to ask him yourself, Hokage-sama"

Sarutobi slumped back into his chair, rubbing his temples. A sad look passed over his features making him seem more old. "I have tried everything Meme, believe me. But none of my people seem to understand the difference between a child and a demon. When I tried to adopt him the council protested, saying I should concentrate on my duties. I didn't trust the other clans because most thought young Naruto as a tool for war. Even though I made a law that prohibited them from talking about the Kyuubi..." he trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Why didn't you tell him the reason?", Meme asked honestly curious.

"Naruto was young. And mind of a child is always fragile. If I told him about a monster sealed inside his body, that could have caused a negative psychological effect. At the time, he wouldn't understand the meaning of seals and would take the revelation in the wrong sense. How would you feel right now if I tell you the thing you fear most is sealed inside you through surgery?".

"...frankly that would creep me out.", Meme replied in understanding. _But Naruto is more mature that he seem Hokage-sama, _she thought smiling inwardly.

The two sat in silence before Meme decided her next course of action. "I have a proposition, Hokage-sama", she replied with the Hokage giving her his attention. "I would like to take Naruto-kun under my wing and drop him out of the academy for the next two years. I would supervise his training but would request it outside the village so as to eliminate all distractions. Ofcouse the final decision is for Naruto to decide even with your permission".

The Hokage stared into her eyes, but saw only honesty and resolution. Taking off his hat, he asked "...Tell me Meme. Why are you so interested in Naruto-kun".

Meme smiled fondly, "He gave me a new chance and brought back my lost hope. I am forever in-debt to him and I would gladly do whatever I can to make his dream come true...I will make sure he never loses hope".

The Hokage could see she deeply cared for the blonde and had no reason to decline her request. But there was one thing that he needed to confirm. "Have you even had an apprentice before?"

"Uh...if you count Erio then yea", she replied sheepishly. Seeing the skeptical look the Hokage was giving her, she grinned. "Want to me show you a demonstration?",she asked raising her hand.

The Hokage wondered what she was up to before Meme snapped her fingers. Instantly his surroundings changed. The hokage found himself standing in a dark room which only a single window at the corner. A light bluish glow flooded the room which highlighted the racks packed with rusted weapons hanging from the walls. Sarutobi turned behind, only for his breath to hitch when his eyes fell on something infront of him. Or rather someone. A man hanging by a rope around his neck with bloodshot eyes stared at him. Now that he looked carefully, several bodies lined with various scars from head to toe were hanging from the ceiling, all staring at him without a word. Around him were various objects like racks with chains dangling from the corners, the surface stained with dried blood. Overall, it looked like a torture chamber that would have made Ibiki drool.

Suddenly, a metal door opened and Meme walked in with a grin. "Welcome to my playhouse", she chirped that further freaked out the Hokage, though he would never admit it. Still he couldn't help but praise her.

"I am impressed. Not many could create an illusion as real as this. This is easily a Jonin level jutsu".

Meme didn't say anything but the smile she was giving him made the Hokage feel uneasy. Deciding that he should return to his accursed paperwork, he made the Ram sign "Kai!".

Nothing happened.

"Kai!". Still nothing. The hokage look at Meme confused, who still had that smile on her face. "Who said it was a genjutsu?", she asked.

The hokage tensed but he couldn't move. He felt as if every cell in his body had turned to lead. His feet stayed rooted to the floor as Meme slowly made his way towards him. Picking up a knife from a nearby table, he nicked the Hokage's cheek before throwing it away and snapping her fingers.

Instantly the room reverted back to normal. No one had moved from their position, as if nothing had happened at all. Feeling something wet trailing his face, Sarutobi wiped at it to find it was blood from the cut he had received.

"If I had been a real enemy, you would have been dead", Meme said calmly before smiling, "Still having second thoughts?"

Hiruzen was too stupefied to reply so he just shook his head. Meme nodded before getting up, "I will talk to Naruto-kin then", she said and the next time he blinked she was gone. The Hokage composed himself before sighing deeply. He didn't knew what happened but he could only imagine how powerful the blonde would become if he could learn what Meme did. He felt guilty that he couldn't make out any time to train Naruto himself, even though the blonde requested many times.

A second chance...

Suddenly an idea struck him. Opening a locker hidden behind the wall, he pulled out a large scroll with words 'forbidden' written on it. Deciding his course of action, he quickly copied three jutsu's from it into another scroll before putting it back.

"Cat!", he called as a familiar female anbu appeared infront of him, awaiting orders. "Give this scroll directly to Uzumaki Naruto. Tell him to burn it after reading everything".

Cat nodded before taking the scroll and shunshin'ing away. Sarutobi sighed in relief. _At least I contributed something, _he thought.

**Author's Note: Review! XD **

**Later,**

**~velsked (deceased)**


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